The Girl Who Ran
by Twinkie216
Summary: Faced with a promise, the Doctor won't go back on his word. Faced with a challenge, Veronica won't give up. OcxDoctor OcxOC
1. The Promise

**Prologue: **_The Promise_

There was only one thing that she needed. In her final moments, Elisa Salt was in need of one man. He of course, was there, petting back her hair from her face.

"No..." he breathed. "You weren't supposed to die. I...I was going to save you."

Elisa looked up at her Doctor, and gave him a sad smile. "You...save yourself. I'm done for."

"No, don't say that. _Never_ say that. I'll make it up to you. I'll save you. What-_what_ can I do?"

"Nothing," Elisa growled out. She was sick of him trying to save everyone. He _couldn't_ save everyone. It broke her heart to see him so upset.

"No. No. No. I can do something." The Doctor's voice rose, and his face scruntched angrily. "Tell me! What can I do?"

Elisa looked at her Doctor and closed her eyes. She dreaded saying it, for if she said it, it would become real. Too real. "Take care of my...daughter."

The Doctor's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "But you don't-_Oh_." His eyes softened. "Oh..."

Elisa's eyes grew wet as she thought of her daughter. "Don't count on the wicked, Doctor. Just...make sure she's not lonely." A tear fell from her eyes, and the Doctor quickly wiped it away, but once one fell, many followed after. The Doctor's eyes grew sadder as the life faded away from his sobbing friend.

The Doctor felt helpless. He couldn't heal her, and she was fading fast. He's failed her. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"Just...eh...promise. _Promise_ me."

"I promise. Anything for you, my dear." He brushed her hair down with his shaky and clammy hands. With that, Elisa Salt died in the arms of her Doctor. And when she was gone, Doctor couldn't hold back the tears and regret.


	2. The Doctor

**Chapter One:** _The Doctor_

Veronica Smith sat patiently with the other kids outside of the principal's office. Her arms were crossed and she sported her regular attire: black athletic shorts, a tank top with her favorite fandom character, a superman jacket, and red converse. She wasn't sure why she was called down to Mrs. Collins's office. As far as she could tell, she hadn't done anything wrong. She glanced at the door just as it cracked open and Mrs. Collins's peeked out.

Mrs. Collins, while sweet, was ugly. She had a pudgy body that wouldn't have bothered Veronica if Collins hadn't worn skin-tight shirts and skirts that were less than flattering. Her face was rippled in fat, and she always wore too much makeup to hide the blemishes, but the makeup didn't work. Instead of hiding them, they just make them worse. With a small sigh, Veronica smiled at her principal, and stood up. Mrs. Collins waved Veronica inside and Veronica followed her inside, trying to be confident, but her stomach stirred.

Veronica, despite her appearance, wasn't a tough girl. She was the world's biggest softie stuffed into a cowardly, hormonal girl who wanted nothing more than for people to find her appealing. She was a bit crazy, and very unlady-like. So when she saw a goofy man sitting in one of the chairs in front of the principal's desk, she had to ask, "Am I getting suspended for something I didn't do?"

Mrs. Collins clicked her tongue, and closed the door behind Veronica before wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Oh no sweetie. Never. Why would you think that?" She forced Veronica into the seat next to the man. The man, who was quite handsome, glanced at her with sad eyes. But Veronica didn't notice, her eyes were on Mrs. Collins as she took a seat across from them.

Veronica glanced at the man before shrugging. "Nerves, I suppose. Being in your office makes me nervous."

"Why?" Mrs. Collins asked. "I'm not threatening, am I?" The women shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Am I too intimidating? That's what I've feared!" Mrs. Collins slapped her hands down on her desk, her eyes rolling. "The children always glance away from me when I walk past! Now I know why! I'll get right to that!"

The man sitting next to Veronica cleared his throat. "Mrs. Collins I believe we're trying to discuss something important here."

"Oh yes!" Mrs. Collins said. She shifted excitedly in her seat and placed her flabby elbows on her deck, and her fat cheeks swelled with a smile. "Veronica, this man, as he claims, is your father!"

The man turned to face Veronica slowly, as if taking his time, and finally _looked_ at her. Veronica did the same, almost falling out of her chair as she turned to face the man next to her. She was shocked, and at a loss for words as she looked at him, analyzed him. The first thing that Veronica noticed, other than his old man clothes, was the he had a british accent. Or something close to it, Veronica wasn't quite sure. But then there were the boots. This man was wearing boots, even when it was so close to summer vacation! Veronica glanced down at herself, and then back to the man. _Maybe he's comfortable,_ she thought. _That would explain his fashion disaster. He looks dorky, maybe. No. __He's too young. He looks nothing like me. How did he find me, anyway? What if he's just a stalker? Why does he keep looking at me like that? Why does he want me now? Why now of all times does he show up? What's this about? **Why now?**_

The man, after an awkward moment stuck out his hand. He face wasn't serious anymore. It was happy. "Hi!" he blurted, sounding nervous. He licked his lips and glanced down at his hand when Veronica didn't take it. "It's nice to finally meet you." He put his hand down and looked around for something to say. "You know, you look so much like your mother." His voice broke, but he cleared his throat. "I just...you look exactly like her." His cheerful façade melted into one of sadness. His eyes looked over Veronica, but then he looked away. "If you don't mind Mrs. Collins, I'd like have a private moment alone with my daughter, please."

Mrs. Collins nodded, happy to do anything for this man. That was something Veronica noted, because that was just strange. Mrs. Collins was never happy to do anything. She stood up in a rush and quickly fled the room. When she was gone, Veronica wanted to say, "What was that all about?" but she didn't. This man...this man was _claiming_ to be her father, Veronica decided. She had a father. She had a loyal father at home waiting for her to get home so he could be there for her like her mother wasn't. Her eyes stung as her gut twirled. But she stayed silent, watching the floor, not wanting to be rude.

"I have a question," the man said. Veronica looked up at him, her eyes wide and expectant and hopeful and cautious. The man smiled at her. It was a sad smile. "Veronica, are you lonely?"

Veronica didn't respond for a moment. She didn't even think about it. "What?" she wanted to say. "What kind of stupid question is that? After all of this time, all this time of you not knowing me the one question you ask is if I'm lonely? Of course I'm lonely! My dad's great, but without my mom, my life's empty. I only have one friend, but she's never around. Not only that, but being smart and being in band and being a part of super heroes fandoms doesn't exactly give me a bunch of friends! I'm lonely! I'm super lonely. And I know my dad tries, but he can't pick up the slack like my mother could." It scratched at her throat to say those things. To tell this man the truth, but he was just a stranger-father or not. She wasn't going to burden him. She wasn't going to make him feel guilty. She wasn't going to give this guy a bad first impression about her mundane teenage life. So instead, Veronica shrugged and said, "No. Not really."

"Not really?" he echoed. The man stood up and moved his seat around to face Veronica. Veronica gave him a worried look. The man decided not to notice and instead looked over Veronica, sizing her up. "You're lying to me. I can see it. You have your mothers nervous tic." Veronica was going to say something, but the man stopped her. "Say no more, I've made a promise, and I always keep my promises."

"Promise? To who?"

"You mother. Now Miss Veronica Smith, would you be so kind as to accompany me on a trip?"

"_What_?" Veronica shook her head, instantly thinking the worst, and thinking of her father. "No. I'm sorry, but I've got places to be." Veronica gave the man a wry look. "I can't leave." She was now glaring at the man, warning him to say anything wrong. _I'm not my mother,_ she thought.

"Well," the man sat back in his chair, "what if I said, I had a box that could travel through time, and when we got back it'd be like we'd never even left?" he said.

Veronica scoffed. "Look, I may be a nerd, but time travel doesn't exist in this day and age."

"You're right, but I'm not from here. I'm from the future," he said. "And the past, and I'm still in the present. Isn't it wonderful?" The man shifted excitedly in his seat. "I could show you things you'd never even thought was possible. I could take you anywhere." He paused for dramatic effect. "I could make sure you'd never be lonely again."

Veronica thought for a moment. This was her dream. It was her dream to go on some epic adventure. Ever since she found her mother's diary about her time through space with a mysterious man, she'd wanted to go herself. But now that it was right there. Now that she could finally could, she didn't know if she was ready. Was she able to handle it? She thought about the near death experiences that her mother had gone through. She thought about how strong her mother was. How much of a hero her mother had been before she'd run away with her doctor.

"I don't know," she admitted. "How can you guarantee anything? Like that it will actually work? Or that you're not abducting me because you're some creepy pedo stalker?"

The man shrugged. "I can't." He stood up. "But, I can guarantee your safety. I made a promise to your mother, and I won't let her down. Now, Veronica Smith..." the man narrowed his eyes at her. "will you or will you not like to come with me?"

Veronica stared at the hand that was suddenly in her face. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she opened her mouth. But only a choking sound came out. She flinched when the man spun around on his heel, fist pumping the air with a shout.

"That's a yes," he exclaimed. He gave her a bright smile before straightening up into a formal stance. "May I have you hand?"

Veronica's nerves melted away as she stared at the man, and he face broke out into a smile. She nodded and extended her hand out, but drew it back when he reached for it. "First things first. You know my name, but I don't know yours."

"Ah, yes." The man straightened his bow tie proudly as he said, "I'm the Doctor."

* * *

**Author's Note:**_ This is just a short story I'm writing. I will most likely make a lot of mistakes because I'm trying to get it out of my head before I lose it, but I will go over it again and again. So do not worry!_

_Also, I hope you enjoy reading it. I mean, why else do I post it? :) Have a great day-and criticism is welcomed._


	3. The Enemy

**Chapter Two:** _The Enemy_

Veronica Smith sat very still. She was currently in her principal's office, alone, or not really alone, but with a stranger. A weird man, he was, with mood swings almost as outrageous as hers.

He was also _the_ Doctor.

The one thought that kept her from busting the man's brains out was the flashback the played in her mind of the little girl lying in bed, asking for her mother only for her father to say, "I'm sorry sweetie, but mom's not coming home." Little Veronica hadn't understood it then. But then she'd asked again one day where her mother was, and her father had told her she'd run off with her Doctor, or that's what he said the note had said.

_The Doctor._

Veronica's silence was eerie and the Doctor gave her a funny look. "Usually people react very differently to my name, they don't fall into creepy silence."

"You're the one who took my mother away from us?" Veronica whispered. Her eyes were trained on the floor as she tried to collect her thoughts. "The Doctor. Hm, try home-wrecker," she muttered to herself.

"Excuse me, I've done no such thing!" the Doctor said. But then he looked away, his hands shoved in his pockets casually, and muttered, "Well, never on purpose."

Veronica's face crumpled when she heard this. He was so cheerful, even though his very presence made her heart clinch. It was like ripping apart families was normal. His arrogance made her blood boil, but she was too curious to act out on those emotions. "So...you're the doctor my mother ran away with?"

"Yes," he said, "of course. Is there anyone else named the Doctor?"

Veronica ignored his question and looked down at her feet. "So...what did my father do to you?" She glanced up to see the man's reaction, but the Doctor was confused.

"What does-Oh!" The Doctor fixed his bow tie, but didn't say anything. "This is just awkward."

"Why are you trying to ruin his life?" Veronica asked. "I mean, you are trying to right? First taking away his wife, then his daughter? What did he do to you?"

"Uhmm, nothing. Your father has done nothing to me. It's just that-" The Doctor cut himself off and looked everywhere else that wasn't Veronica. "Your mother was very insistent on me taking her with her for one last final trip." The Doctor's voice was low. He sat down across from her in his chair. He didn't say anything more.

Veronica stayed silent too. Her eyes were on the Doctor, and her mind was going crazy. She wanted to say something. The silence killed her. The Doctor stared at her, waiting for her to say something, waiting for her to explode like her mother would have. The Doctor, though, as he sat there for a moment longer realized that while she looked so much like Elisa, Veronica wasn't her. She was her daughter.

They must have sat no longer than a minute, both too impatient to wait any longer. Veronica was the first one to break the silence. "Well, it was..." she trailed off while she stood up, and walked towards the door. "...to meet you." She glanced back at the man, her face, as he noticed, was devastated. But she only gave him a glance, knowing it was easier for her to not look at this stranger.

_This horrific stranger,_ she thought. _This bastard that took my mother away. _I'm_ not my mother. I'll never be that tramp. _Veronica was out of the room faster than she had thought possible. She passed all of the other kids in a rush, and tried to ignore their curious eyes. But she couldn't.

This was too much. This was something that she didn't need. If she had gone through life knowing that her mother had just left, ran away with a doctor, it would have been fine. But...him...That awful, stupid, miserable bastard of a man had to come up and-

A hand reached up and grabbed Veronica's arm. "Hey-" Veronica whipped around, and ripped her arm away from the person who had grabbed it. She was going to punch him, but she froze when she saw who is was. "Whoa," Alex said, looking over his friend. She was in pretty rough shape. She was just about to burst into tears, he could see that. Alex backed away from her a bit, afraid to get caught up in Veronica's hormonal outburst. "Sorry, hey, what's wrong?"

Veronica glanced up at Alex, intimidated by his height, and embarrassed that he saw her on the verge of tears. "Nothing," Veronica lied. "It's nothing." She glanced up at Alex again, and grabbed one of her elbows. "Just...personal problems, if you count the guy who came in and wrecked your family coming to school and convincing the principal to let her speak to you - and lying while he's at it, just to talk to _me_. I mean, I get why he would go after my mother, she was gorgeous, but me? I'm only a little kid. So it obviously has something to do with my dad. I need to speak with my dad. I-" Veronica stopped talking and then wiped away at her eyes. "Did...did I just..."

Alex nodded, and Veronica turned away to leave, afraid she had said enough, but he stopped her. "I don't know what else to say other than good luck."

"I'd prefer good aim," Veronica retorted. "It took a lot not to bust open his head on the spot. I mean, how could he just _show_ _up_?" Veronica felt like venting all of her problems to Alex, knowing he'd listen. He was a good guy, and while he wasn't crazy on helping people, he would always offer a shoulder to cry on if needed. But now wasn't the right place or time. They were still in school. _School._ "You have to get to class," Veronica exclaimed. "You've got whatever, and it's two hallways away, run, or you'll be tardy. Don't worry about me. I've got my problems under control." She flashed him a smile to show that she could handle herself, even though she knew it was fake, and she knew that he could see right through her.

"Well," Alex said, shooting her a friendly smirk, "if you need anything let me know." His face lit up. "_And_ I've got ice cream at my house. Enough for you to eat your heart out, and for me sit back and enjoy some myself."

Veronica smiled, despite herself, and nodded. She thought about saying, "I don't like sharing," to joke a bit, but Alex rushed away. _He always loves his precious last words,_ Veronica thought, but she quickly tried to get her mind from Alex. She frowned and watched as kids filtered away into their classrooms. She really was lonely, she noticed. Seeing people walk away and leave made her feel more alone than she thought possible. Seeing the number of people around her dwindle made the Doctor's offer tempting, but Veronica would never go with that man. He was the enemy, whether he ever meant to be or not.**  
**

* * *

**Author's Note:**_ This is just a short story I'm writing. I will most likely make a lot of mistakes because I'm trying to get it out of my head before I lose it, but I will go over it again and again. So do not worry!_

_Also, I hope you enjoy reading it. I mean, why else do I post it? :)_

_Have a great day - and criticism is welcomed._

_I know I'm not perfect, and it's okay to point out my flaws._


	4. The TARDIS

**Chapter Thre:** _The TARDIS_

It's been a couple of years since the Doctor had shown up at her school. Veronica's life had been sort of crumbling ever since. She'd told her father about his appearance at school, and he'd gone nuts, but she'd calmed him down, and convinced him not to sue the school. She'd also lied to him about what the Doctor said. She just told her father that he'd gone to see her, and that he said that her mother was happier with him. That he had come back only to brag.

The weight of lying was hard on her.

Luckily, she had her best friend, Laura, to help. But Laura was almost always busy. Busy with her boyfriend. Busy with her family. Busy with her others friends. And that was okay for Veronica, most of the time. But it was lonely. There was no one like Laura. Laura was strong, pretty, good with everybody, and the one person who Veronica felt comfortable with. Laura could handle all of Veronica's problems. She was the sister Veronica never got.

And as much as Laura and Veronica spent time together, it was never enough. When they were kids, they were joined at the hip, but when they were sent to different schools in high school, her safe haven behind Laura was pulled away. She was forced to face the world of high school alone.

At first, it was okay, because they made it a thing that they'd see each at least once a week, but then the Doctor showed up, and things slowly got worse. Slowly, but surely, the people in her life peeled away from her like a onion, until only her, her father and Laura were left. Of course, Veronica wouldn't be sitting in her basement leaning against the bar with one of her father's beer bottles in her hands if Laura was here.

But she wasn't.

Laura was gone.

After years of teasing, Laura's parents had finally moved themselves to the other side of the country, dragging Laura away with them. It was heart breaking, and Veronica wasn't sure why people always looked to alcohol to restore a broken heart. She'd grown up with, "If you're down, pop open a beer." But beer was disgusting, and no matter how much she drank it didn't taste better or hurt less. Then again, she'd only sipped two little sips. The stench of beer made her stomach sick; so after a painful moment of looking at the alcohol in her hands, she pushed it aside and sighed.

It was times like these when she thought back to what that strange man had said about her never having to be lonely again. While she blamed him for everything, she knew she was weak enough to accept his offer if he were to ask again.

It was then that she heard the whooshing sounds behind her, and her hair started to blow into her face. Stunned, Veronica turned around slowly to face a particular blue box that was now in the middle of her basement. Thinking she had been caught, Veronica sputtered, "I didn't even really dr-drink it. I t-took like two sips, it was nothing. I promise daddy; I didn't drink! I don't drink. Y-you... You're not my f-father." There was a tense moment as the Doctor stood there, confused, only his head visible from behind the blue door.

Veronica was too flustered to recognize him instantly, she slowly reached behind her to grab the bottle, but her shaking hands knocked it over instead. The clatter of the plastic bottle broke both of them out of the awkward silence.

"Well, I'm not your father," the Doctor joked, giving a slight chuckle, but it was caught in his throat when Veronica's face scrunched up angrily.

"You!" Veronica roared. She was going to deal with the spilt alcohol later. "This is your fault!"

"Now," the Doctor called, disappearing into his mysterious blue box, "I can explain!"

Veronica, without thinking of the consequences, pushed herself away from the bar and chased the Doctor into the blue box. Her eyes never left his back as she chased him around a circular table with flips, levers, and buttons galore. She didn't notice any of that. She was too angry.

Laura left.

Her father was unhappy.

Her friends left her.

Alex had transfered schools.

She was alone-and it was his fault. That was all the mattered.

She chased him around one more time before she tripped, and fell flat on her face. It was then, that everything slowed down. The Doctor's breathing slowed as he stopped running, but looked at her carefully, asking himself to help her, or leave her. The room itself also seemed to slow down. The beeps and flashes of color seemed to stand out, and she realized just how big the room was, and how small the box in her basement was. It was like a small, beautiful voice in the back of her mind whispered, "It's him."

Her mind jumped to her mother's journal. The mysterious man her mother had traveled with. The things the Doctor had said those awful two years ago. And it all connected.

The Doctor was the mysterious man her mother had run away with to go on space adventures; and on her last trip, she had died, leaving her child and boyfriend behind.

Veronica took her time getting off the floor. She was flustered by this new information. First she flipped to her back, and took in the beauty of the machine around her. She took in the colors, the texture, and the smell of the machine. It smelled like cooper and the faint smell of cleaning fluid. While strange, the smell was comforting.

Her mother had been here, in this same box, with this same man. She had trusted him with her life time and time again, only for him to save her again and again. Veronica sat up slowly, dragging her hand along the orange rail next to her, and pulled herself up. Her back was to the Doctor. Perhaps he hadn't killed her mother, and considering how they're adventures together supposedly had went, maybe she had died of other things. Veronica hoped her mother had died of natural causes. But a voice in the back of her mind whispered, "It wasn't natural."

Veronica took in a deep breath and smoothed back her hair. "So it's you," she said. Her voice was soft. She turned to face the Doctor, who was looking very uncomfortable. "You're this mysterious man that my mother traveled with." She leaned against the orange rail and watched the Doctor closely, waiting for him to respond.

"Uh yes, yes that's me," the Doctor said, looking around. He leaned up against the control panel. "I'm the Doctor-did she really call me mysterious?" The Doctor smiled, but Veronica stayed stoic, thinking.

"Prove it," she said.

"Prove what?" the Doctor replied dumbly. His eyes glanced around nervously. Unluck when he'd met her before, Veronica was confident and desperate for something the Doctor couldn't put his finger on-and he didn't like not knowing.

"Prove that you're this space man my mother rambled on about in her journal. Do something." Veronica looked around, and spread her arms wide to gesture to the area around her. "Prove to me that this magical box can take us through time and space."

The Doctor was still for a second, before he popped his neck and groaned. For a brief moment Veronica though that he was going to kick her out of his blue box, but the shake of his shoulders assured her otherwise. He bounced up and away from the control center and fixed his bow tie for good measure. "I guess you leave me no choice, Ms Smith." He smiled a huge smile. "But first! You have know my beautiful time machine-the Tardis."

"Tardis," Veronica echoed as the Doctor continued. She crossed her arms, but kept listening.

"Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. TARDIS!" The Doctor danced around pulling levers and switches but then he stopped and faced Veronica, who was petting the orange railing of the Tardis. He paused for a moment, stunned by how much Veronica looked like her mother. But his realization only lasted a moment before he smiled again. "Where do you wanna go?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**_ This is just a short story I'm writing. I will most likely make a lot of mistakes because I'm trying to get it out of my head before I lose it, but I will go over it _again and again._ So do not worry!_

_This chapter hasn't been looked over because I've got to get it out of my head! I've been working on it for too long, so please don't be too upset._

_Have a great day - and criticism is welcomed. __I'm aware that I'm not perfect, and it's okay to point out the flaws. I would actually insist on it because not only will it help me as an author, it would help me to make this an enjoyable story for more people._


	5. The Baby

**Chapter Four:** _The Baby_

"I want to see my mom," Veronica said. She sighed as she watched the Doctor's face. "I know that she's dead, even if you won't verbally tell me so. I can see it all over your face. I want to be there for her."

"No," the Doctor said. "I'm not doing that." He ran his fingers through his short brown hair. Somehow, he could see that this was the only way for him to convince her. He glanced at Veronica and his shoulders sagged. "I can't."

"My mother said you could do anything," Veronica retorted. "You're the mysterious man!" Veronica sighed, and leaned against the orange rail, her arms crossed. "I know you can do anything."

"I can't do everything," the Doctor said.

"My mother thought you could," Veronica said. She gave the Doctor an even look, which they shared for a moment. But that moment was over before either of them knew it, and the Doctor was pulling switches and maneuvering leavers. When he was done, he stepped away from the control panel. "Grab the rail," he yelled just as the Tardis started to rumble.

Veronica didn't wait for him to explain, and grabbed the rails until her knuckles were white. But there was only a slight rumble and a strange, almost siren like, sound was to be heard before the Doctor let go of the Tardis and fixed his bow tie.

He looked at Veronica. She was pale, the thought of traveling with a stranger just weighing down on her, but he didn't give her time to dwell on that fact.

Before she could say anything, he whisked away to the door, and walked right out of the Tardis, leaving Veronica to follow him. Of course, she did, and she was shocked to find that she was in a hospital. From the way that her mother had described this mysterious man, a hospital would be the last place that she'd end up.

The Doctor turned a corner up ahead of her, but Veronica was slower. She was taking it all in. The hallways were bright with florescent lights beaming down onto the white stoned floors. The walls were a tan, creamy color that Veronica instantly hated. It was an ugly color and made the hospital look cheap. Veronica, unlike some people, visited hospitals too much. She knew too much about them, about what happened in them. She'd visited too many relatives in these buildings.

So Veronica sucked in a small breath and tried to calm her nerves, only it wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. She was about to see her mother as she lay on her death bed. Veronica felt faint, but with a sudden wash of determination, she straightened her back, and began to walk faster.

I'm a strong woman. My mother needs me right now and there is no way in hell I'm going to- Veronica's thoughts were cut off by the Doctor popping out of a random hallway, and grabbing Veronica's hand. Unfortunately for the Doctor, Veronica wasn't ready for his sudden arrival, and she was about to punch him before she saw who it was. With a growl, she ripped her hand out of his and spat, "Don't do that!" She glared at him. "Don't touch me. I don't like strangers touching me."

The Doctor held his up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. I will respect your personal space." He nodded and that goofy smile found it's way to his face again. Veronica wanted to slap it off of him, but he was turned around and walking off before Veronica could respond. "Follow me!"

"Hey," Veronica called, running up to him, "wait for me!" But the voice died in her throat when she saw what the Doctor had suddenly stopped in front of. It was the nursery, where tons of little babies where sleeping cutely in either pink or blue blankets. Veronica's eyes were frozen to the name tag over a small girl that read: VERONICA SMITH. "But..." Veronica felt strange seeing herself there, in the blanket and she could feel a strange sense of discomfort, like she shouldn't be here-like she should be anywhere but there. After a few moments she looked back at the Doctor. "But you said..."

"I lied," he said. He smiled and looked at Veronica and then baby Veronica. "You were a cute child."

"Yeah, I know," Veronica snapped. "I can't believe you lied to me! What the hell, man?" Veronica let out a growl. You don't lie about something like that, she thought, but then she thought she should tell him that. "You don't like about something like seeing your mother die."

It was so strange, it was like time slowed down while Veronica turned away from the Doctor to watch herself sleep. What he did suddenly made perfect sense. Veronica watched as a nurse came in and picked up the baby version of herself.

"Oh," Veronica breathed as she watched the nurse walk out. "Oh." Veronica then started to follow the nurse, and the Doctor walked behind her, watching her carefully.

Veronica ignored him, though, and followed the nurse silently until she disappeared into a room. Veronica stopped at the end of the hall, and leaned against wall, fidgeting with her necklace. She was about to see her mother. She was going to see her mother. Her mother was right in front of her. Her mother was only a few steps away. Veronica's breath became heavier at the thought of seeing her mother again.

Her mother was alive and only a few feet away.

Slowly and silently Veronica turned around and headed back to where the Tardis was parked.

* * *

**Author's Note:**_ This is just a short story I'm writing. I will most likely make a lot of mistakes because I'm trying to get it out of my head before I lose it, but I will go over it _again and again._ So do not worry!_

_This chapter hasn't been looked over because I've got to get it out of my head! I've been working on it for too long, so please don't be too upset._

_Have a great day - and criticism is welcomed. __I'm aware that I'm not perfect, and it's okay to point out the flaws. I would actually insist on it because not only will it help me as an author, it would help me to make this an enjoyable story for more people. I love you, and drop a review, tell me if you're enjoying the story or not. :)_


	6. The Door

**Chapter Five: The Door**

Months.

It had been months since Veronica had last seen the Doctor. She wasn't lonely though because for some miraculous reason, Alex had transferred back to her high school. And while they weren't joined at the hip, per say. They did spend an awful lot of time together catching up and playing video games.

It was really nice to have a friend back, especially Alex because she could tell him anything and he would never tell another soul. Not only that but he was a guy, so it was easier to be around him than a bunch of gossip crazy, powder faced sluts. Aka, most other high school girls.

Currently, he and Veronica were sitting in her basement bar, eating a giant tub of icecream together. The small flat screen in the corner of the room had on the sports channel. Both of them watched as the guys tackled each other on the field.

Veronica sighed as she watched them play. "I don't get football. It gives me a headache."

"I agree. It's boring." Alex scooped up a spoonful of chocolate ice cream. "Wanna watch something else? Gotta a cool movie or something?"

"Yes," Veronica retorted, hopping off of the stool. "Have you seen Watchmen yet?" She went over to the cabinet that held the movies and picked out the movie. She glanced back at him to see Alex shrug. Veronica let out a scoff and gave him a flat stare. "You're such a loser." Veronica ignored the insulted sound that came from Alex, and instead walked over to the TV and slid in the disk. She changed the setting on the TV and smiled when the previews flashed on. With the remote in hand, she turned around. "You," she pointed the remote at him, "are gonna love it. I can quote the whole movie."

Alex sighed. "You're not going to speak the whole time, are you?" he whined. "I hate people who speak during movies."

Veronica's eyes twitched. She took a seat next to him. "Shut up," she grumbled. She spared a glance and him and smiled when she was his lips twitch.

For the next couple of hours, they sat there, watching the movie. Veronica mouthed everything and squealed when Rorschach made admirable quotes. She didn't notice Alex sending her annoyed and loving glances her way with every outbreak.

He loved the way her nose had crinkled when she squealed, and he got distracted by her lips moving the whole time. He also loved how her face heated up and she fidgeted during the sex scene, and tried to sneak peeks at him, to see if he was just was uncomfortable. Which everytime he caught her eye during the time, he couldn't help but blush.

He wished she didn't do the things she did to him. Just being around her made his pulse spike. He couldn't stand it. That was mostly due to the fact that she and he would be going seperate ways in a short year and a half. Their goals, dreams, were different. No, beyond different. Completely opposite. He couldn't let himself develop such feelings for her when they would be ripped apart in the end, following separate paths.

When the movie was over he scooped out the last bit of melted icecream from the bottom of the tub and he looked expectantly at a relaxed Veronica. "That is the best movie known to man," she said. She glanced back at Alex. "Still think that," she rolled her wrist trying to think of the name of the movie "whatever-it's-called is better?"

Alex scoffed, shooting her a playful glare. "Yes, I do. Whatever-it's-called has better character development."

"Oh please, Watchmen totally kills your movie. Don't even try to deny it," Veronica snapped. She slid down from the stool she was sitting on, and stretched. "Anyway, it's getting late and as much as I love spending time with you, if my dad catches us with the lights off in the basement...he might actually act like a dad."

Alex laughed and slid off of his stool as well. "It's okay. I should probably get home anyway." He let out a sigh and stuck his hands in his pockets. "If I stay out too long, my mother might actually start acting like a mother." A small smirk twitched to his lips. He turned around and headed for the stairs.

Veronica, called out, "Where are you going?"

Alex flipped on the light switch and put a hand over his mouth to feign surprise. "I flipped on the light switch! I must be a rebel or something."

Veronica gave him a flat stare and put her hands on her hips, also making her way to the stairs. "Or something," she muttered. She passed easily and climbed the stairs, not looking to see if Alex was following her, or looking at her butt. Her cheeks flushed. No, he wouldn't do that, because they were just friends. Veronica walked to her front door and turned around to face Alex. "It was nice having you over, like always."

"It's nice to be over," he said. He sighed, and looked around her house. "I like your house. It's so quiet."

Veronica nodded, her eyes squinting up at him. "Yes, that's the curse and blessing over being a single child." Veronica smiled and hugged Alex. "Bye, dude. I'll talk to you later, okay? You can call or something."

Alex pulled away and winked. "Or something." He smiled when Veronica shot him that flat stare.

"Just get out of my house," she said. She opened the door and said, "You have to leave in order for me to miss your company."

"Right," he said. "I'll call you later, after I eat dinner."

"You better," she called after him before she closed the door.

* * *

**Author's Note:**_ This is just a short story I'm writing. I will most likely make a lot of mistakes because I'm trying to get it out of my head before I lose it, but I will go over it _again and again._ So do not worry!_

_This chapter hasn't been looked over because I've got to get it out of my head! I've been working on it for too long, so please don't be too upset._

_Also, this is kinda a filler chapter. I want to get a bit of Alex/Veronica going on before the Doctor's next visit._

_Have a great day - and criticism is welcomed. __I'm aware that I'm not perfect, and it's okay to point out the flaws. I would actually insist on it because not only will it help me as an author, it would help me to make this an enjoyable story for more people. I love you, and drop a review, tell me if you're enjoying the story or not. :)_


	7. The Goodbye

**Chapter Six: The Goodbye**

Veronica sighed as she rolled around on her bed, tangling herself up in her sheets. She had been trying to fall asleep, she really had been! But she couldn't get Alex's words out of her head.

_"Will you go on a date with me?"_

_He had said that! He! Had! Said! That! But why?_ They both knew that they were going their separate ways in less than a year. It was foolish, silly, stupid-wrong! Tears bubbled in her eyes at the thought and she tried her best not to cry. _I shouldn't be crying_, she thought.

She sniffed, hating herself for crying when she knew she should be excited. The worst thing was that she had no one else to turn to her. Her father was hopeless, he would just hug her and tell her that life is funny, or something stupid and not helpful like, You're too young to date. You're grounded. So she laid there, trying to deal with it by herself. She let the tears fall, because after awhile they made her feel better.

She had almost cried herself to sleep when a soft whooshing started. She was instantly awake, and she rolled off of the bed, landing with a loud thud. She was struggling out of her blankets when the TARDIS blinked into existence a few feet away. The door to the Tardis flew open, and the Doctor jumped out, happy and excited.

Seeing him happy brought tears to her eyes and before Veronica knew it, she was crying again. The Doctor winced at this. "You look terrible."

"I know, shut up." She wiped at her eyes, sighing. "I'm just tired," she muttered.

The Doctor gave her a small smile. "Girls don't usually cry when they're tired," he laughed. His happy face dropped right after he said it, however, and he looked around. "Or do they?"

Veronica's face scrunched up, but she didn't go back to crying, instead she pouted. "I want to say it's normal." She shrugged and wiped at her eyes again. "Why are you here?"

The Doctor's happiness popped back up, but then mellowed into something fatherly. "I came here on accident," he said.

Veronica gave him a dull look, irritated. "Accident? You're in my room."

"Yes!" The Doctor patted the Tardis. "I guess she missed you."

"Missed me? The Tardis has feelings?" she said. Veronica sniffed and stood up. "That's amazing."

The Doctor nodded, as if bored with all of her talking, and he put a hand on her arm and led her to the Tardis door. "I'm afraid I'm in a bit of a hurry though. I don't want to be late."

Veronica nodded, and let him lead her away. If she had been more aware at the moment, she would have commented he was a _time_ traveling man. It should be impossible for him to be late, but of course, at the time, she wasn't too aware of what was going on. She just went with him.

Just like her mother.

Shhe felt a pang go through her, and she finally remembered why she had been crying. She wanted my mother. Veronica glanced at the Doctor, he didn't seem to notice. He was too busy dancing around the control panel, his hands flipping switches and cranking knobs and pushing buttons to take notice to her unhappy frown. He was a man with a time machine. He could do anything. He was the mysterious man. He knew no limits.

She opened my mouth to ask him, but then he looked at her. Her voice froze in her throat. His brown eyes danced with excitement. There was a giddy smile on his face. His body twitched with anticipation. Veronica's mouth stretched into a smile almost instantly. There was no way she could ask him. She decided to speak after a second. She threw her hands up. "Where to?"

"It's a surprise," he said. He stood up straight and wiggled his fingers in front of himself. "You'll see soon." He suddenly spun around, and then slammed his hand on a button. The Tardis let out an angry shake in response. "Grab the rails!" Veronica's hands latched to the orange railing in a panic. The Tardis shook violently for about ten seconds before it stopped suddenly. The Doctor hummed, and looked back over the controls. "Uhm, nope, nope, nope," he whispered to himself. He looked up at some things-things Veronica couldn't begin to understand. "We shouldn't be here," he muttered to himself.

There was a movement just outside of her vision. The Tardis door had opened. She stared at it. "Uh, Doctor?"

"Not now, Veronica, I'm busy," he said. He glanced up at her, nonetheless, then followed her line of sight to the door. "No. No. _No_. Don't go outside."

Veronica looked back at the Doctor, and nodded, a silent promise to do as he had said. She looked back out the door to notice they were in a space station of sorts. Well that, or an alien warehouse. Or...and a dirty and dark hospital. Then she thought she heard moaning. It sent a chill up her spine.

It went on for a moment before her ears picked up on what was being said. "_Doc_-tor..."

She glanced at the Doctor the same time he glanced at her. They shared a look: fear. "Veronica," he started, but she was already creeping towards the open door, "don't go out there."

"Someone's calling your name," the girl whispered. She met his eyes, trying to convince him that someone needed him, _the_ mysterious man, to save them. He looked at her like there was no hope.

Wasn't he the fountain of hope? "Veronica." The way he said her name made her suddenly unsure. Unsure of herself, unsure of everything. She knew he saw that.

"Doctor."

His eyes filled with a look Veronica hated, pain. Oh, how his face displayed it well, like he had felt the emotion too often. "You're not going to like it." His voice broke. He look away from the teen.

Veronica glanced at the door and didn't move any closer. Did she really want to see what was out there?

"..Doc...tor..."

Yes. Not for herself, but for the poor person calling for the Doctor. She glanced at him once before finally gaining the courage to walk away. He was standing at the control panel, his arms latch on to the side, leaning forward, his head hung. He looked defeated. Veronica knew this was something she was going to have to do herself. She stepped out of the blue box and then looked around. Definitely an alien spaceship. She felt out of place, but she looked around more. The fact that the Doctor was just a few feet away in his box made exploring a bit easier, a bit safer.

It was pretty much an empty storage room with a few boxes. The scene reminded her of the warehouse from Star Wars Episode III, but without the aliens or the space crafts. She looked around more, the seconds ticked by and each gave her a new feeling of courage.

Veronica was going to call out, but then she spotted her. She was lying there, very still, but her chest slowly rose and fell. She was bleeding, and Veronica had no idea what had happened. The lady had just suddenly appeared.

"Help," she whispered. "Please." Her voice was small and weak, but Veronica heard it clearly.

Veronica didn't speak, she couldn't, as she ran to her. The woman wasn't far, only a quick step away, but she was next to her in the blink of an eye. She looked over her body, mortified. It looked like she'd been taken a bite out of. Veronica felt faint. Nonetheless, she did her best to stop the bleeding. She put her hand on it to stop the bleeding, but somehow she knew that wasn't going to help. There was more to the bite than just the chunk of flesh missing. There was something spreading throughout her body. A nasty black circle surrounded the wound, and branched out across her body. Veronica didn't need to be a genius to know it was a lethal bite.

She wanted to help, but her mind was blank. _I should move her, but that might make it worse. I can't leave her here, but she's too broken to move._

"Baby?" the lady whispered. Her voice held question that made Veronica's heart skip, despite the situation. She looked at the lady's face to show her she wasn't her baby and then she realized who she was.

Veronica's heart shattered. It felt like her world crumbled before her eyes. It was the woman's eyes that gave her away. Those brown eyes Veronica would never forget, the ones that screamed for adventure. She looked awful. Her face silken, hair tangled, blood-red tinted teeth. "Mommy?" Veronica's voice was higher than usual. She bit back a sob, the back of her hand resting on her lips so she didn't make too much sound. "What? _Why_? Mom?"

"Baby..." The woman looked tired. Veronica felt more determined to stop the bleeding. There was something that clicked inside of her, telling her that she had to do something, even if it was something pointless.

"Shut up," Veronica hissed. She didn't know what to do so she did what she thought she could. "I love you," she said, and she kept repeating it because it felt right. The woman needed to know that after everything, Veronica loved her. "This was not what I meant when I said I wanted you," she whispered suddenly. Veronica looked at her in the eyes, and saw she had smiled. It was like a final blow to the teen. She drown in self pity. _Why me?_ Her mother set her hand on hers, and Veronica shivered. She was so cold.

But then there was someone behind her. Veronica felt their presence a second before they grabbed her and pulled her back.

Veronica screamed. She flailed, but she stopped when she figured out who it was. The Doctor. She didn't even need to look. Tears spilled down her cheeks. "Doc, she's..." He hugged her, and shushed her. They both looked at Veronica's mother, both helpless. "We have to help her."

"We can't," he said, his voice hollow. "She has only minutes," he added more for himself than forVeronica. A part of her knew that he wasn't talking to her, and that what he said was a slip up, a mistake. Something he didn't mean to say out loud.

He realized his mistake instantly as Veronica tried to break away from him, but he held her tighter. His chin landed on the top of her head, as if he was trying to sooth her. She could feel him close his eyes in his own silent misery as he held her back. "She wanted this."

"She couldn't have wanted this," Veronica hissed.

"She knew the danger," he insisted. His voice was so broken.

She just sounded angry. "We have to save her."

"We can't."

"Why not?!" She yelled, jumping back onto him. He let go of her, not suspecting my sudden rage. Veronica heard him stumble back as she fell to my knees, but she ignored it and crawled to her mother. Her mother was a goner now. The black now surrounded her lips, and was raising up to her cheeks. "Mommy."

Veronica's mother didn't do anything, but set a hand on her pocket and try to get something out of it. Veronica noticed instantly. Her attention was so focused on her, she didn't notice the Doctor painfully watching them. She couldn't focus on him, not when her mother was like this. SHe grabbed her mother's hand and moved it out of the way gently, and then reached inside of the pocket for her.

Veronica pulled out the diary she'd read since forever.

She was confused.

Her mother's lips curved up, and she moved her head in a small nod. But then there was booming voice. A shout that interrupted them. "Elisa-_no_!" Veronica looked up towards the voice. Feet pounded on the ground, rapid and desperate. The Doctor grabbed her again, and she reached for my mother. Her mother reached back, but the Doctor grabbed her waist, and pulled her away.

Veronica looked at her mother, met her eyes, and said, "Goodbye." It was breathless word, and she almost thought her mother couldn't hear it, but the smile the ghosted her lips told her everything she needed to know. "Goodbye," she whispered to herself. She felt cold.

"We can't stay, we can't interfere with the timeline anymore. I'm sorry," he said pulling her farther and farther away.

Veronica felt dead. She didn't fight back, she just watched her for as long as she could. She didn't say anything as he pulled her back into the box and sped them out of there. She just stared at the book in her hands for a long time, thinking about it, thinking about where it came from.

It was a while before Veronica spoke again. "Doctor." Her voice was broken. His head snapped to her, desperate to get back on good terms, and his big cornered eyes trained on her, ready to listen. The silence has been painful. He was ready to break it. Veronica shifted, uncomfortable with the sudden hit of attention. "We need to make one more stop."

* * *

**Author's Note:**_ This is just a short story I'm writing. I will most likely make a lot of mistakes because I'm trying to get it out of my head before I lose it, but I will go over it _again and again._ So do not worry!_

_So, this chapter took **forever** (six monthes) to write. How does one find the inspiration to write a chapter like this? Well, she starts to update her other stories and gets frustrated that this one hasn't made progress for a looooong time. It's my fault. I'm a loser. I know that, but I need to get over myself._

_Have a great day - and criticism is welcomed. __I'm aware that I'm not perfect, and it's okay to point out the flaws. I would actually insist on it because not only will it help me as an author, it would help me to make this an enjoyable story for more people. I love you, by the way. You're spending your time reading this, and that's appreciated it._


End file.
